Police chief requests funding for expanded use of stun guns

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair told reporters today that he hasn’t started expanding the use of tasers in the Toronto Police Force.

Blair gave a presentation at the Toronto Police Services Board meeting, asking for money to be put aside in the budget “as a place-holder” to acquire more tasers, also known as Conducted Energy Weapons (CEW). Blair also requested more funding for training.

The proposed capital program request for 2013-2023 was sent back to the Toronto Police Budget sub-committee for further review. The board also moved for Blair to prepare a report containing all the steps the TPS is undertaking in regard to the expanded deployment of CEWs.

The capital program is below the city’s target by $8.4 million and the report is due by Nov. 7th.

The board was hesitant to dedicate any money in the budget to the expanded use of tasers without consulting what this expansion would entail. Police board Vice Chairman and ward 37 councillor Michael Thompson, who presided over the meeting, told reporters he had, “heard through the grapevine,” that officers who previously did not use tasers were now being equipped.

Blair, however, was very clear when asked if this was the case. “I have not expanded it to this point,” he said. Also, when Thompson asked him directly whether more officers were being given stun guns, Blair responded with an emphatic “No sir.”

Thompson wants the board to decide if the expanded use of tasers is something they support. “The board has a role to play,” he said, regarding whether it supports the expanded deployment of stun guns.

“The board would be the one held in a position having to defend the utilization of this kind of weaponry,” he said, so it needs to “be able to ask questions and ensure that we manage our own policies and also be aware of potential liabilities.”

Thompson also proposed the installation of a third-party to monitor the use of stun guns. Blair defended his force’s protocol stating, “It’s been exhaustive, but not exhausted.”

“We have the best in class policy framework for use of CEW,” he said. “An enormous amount of work has been done.” Blair did concede that there is room for more study though and stated that the police are looking into enhanced provincially mandated training.

He added that the police service currently has about 500 electric discharge weapons in deployment, but the force doesn’t have the budget to expand deployment of the tools.